Join the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Barbara Jordan Freedom Foundation for a special luncheon where policy-makers and community leaders discuss the intersections of public service and education. We invite LBJ and UT students to join us for this lunch, as we dive deeper into the life and legacy of former Congresswoman and UT Professor Barbara Jordan. Speakers include:
- Rep. Ron Reynolds
- Rep. Sheryl Cole
- Nakeenya Wilson
- Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins
- Moderator: Camille Meshack
Lunch provided courtesy of the Barbara Jordan Freedom Foundation.
Speakers
Representative Sheryl Cole got her start in public life stepping up in her local PTA and organizing community support for our schools as one of the Tri-Chairs to the AISD Bond Committee in 2004. Continuing down the path of public service, she would go on to be elected to Austin City Council for three terms, ultimately serving as Austin's first African American Mayor Pro Tempore. And now, as of 2018, Sheryl Cole represents the communities of East Austin, Manor, and Pflugerville at the Texas Legislature.
In her freshman term, Sheryl was appointed to serve on the Ways and Means, County Affairs, and Redistricting committees. By the end of the Legislative Session, she was recognized as a Texas Legislative Black Caucus Freshman of the Year for her ability to strike compromise with amendments and pass legislation out of the House.
Beyond any of these achievements and accomplishments, what she is most proud of raising her three sons - Marcus, Nelson, and Femi - into the successful young men they have become. She is an active member of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.
Representative Reynolds was sworn in on January 10, 2011 as State Representative, House District 27. Ron is currently serving his seventh term in the Texas House. He is the first African American State Representative in Fort Bend County since Reconstruction. Reynolds was named “2021 87th Session Legislator of the Year” by Fort Bend United and The Young & the Politics. He was voted by his House colleagues as “Freshman Legislator of the Year” and “Public Servant of the Year” by the Houston Minority Contractors Association. He served as the House Minority Whip during the 83rd & 84th Legislative sessions. Reynolds is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and 100 Black Men of America.
Reynolds is the Chair, Texas Legislative Black Caucus and Vice Chair of the Texas Energy & Climate Caucus. Founder and past Chair, Texas House Progressive Caucus. He also serves as the Legislative Leader for the Texas State NAACP and the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats.
Reynolds serves as the ranking member on the House Committee on Environmental Regulation and Land & Resource Management.
Prior to being elected State Representative Reynolds was an Associate Municipal Judge for the City of Houston, Past President of the Houston Lawyers Association and Past President of the Missouri City & Vicinity NAACP. He is a recipient of three Honorary Doctorate’s; “Doctor of Humanities” from Trinity International University of Ambassadors, “Doctor of Philosophy in Humanitarianism” and a “Doctorate of Divinity” from Pendleton Chapel Seminary.
Nakeenya Wilson, currently serving as the Strategic Advisor for Funders for Birth Justice and Equity, navigates her transformative journey with a dedication to addressing disparities in Black maternal health. Her pivotal role in legislative milestones, including the extension of Medicaid in Texas to 12 months postpartum, signifies a crucial step forward in advancing comprehensive maternal health care and addressing systemic inequities. As a first-generation college graduate, community organizer, advocate, and storyteller, Nakeenya places a strong emphasis on uplifting the voices and experiences of those most disparately impacted by these critical issues.
Her journey in educational leadership led her to the role of Interim Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Huston-Tillotson University, Austin's oldest institution of higher learning and only HBCU. Nakeenya consistently steers her work towards justice, equity, inclusion, belonging, and liberation, leveraging her status as a first-generation college graduate to reimagine a society that values and embraces these foundational pillars to achieve true democracy.
Nakeenya Wilson's multifaceted contributions make her a compelling figure in the ongoing dialogue surrounding maternal health equity. Through her work, she continues to be a catalyst for positive change, amplifying the voices and choices of birthing people facing historical trauma and oppression in the crucial sphere of maternal health. Her dedication to empowering individuals contributes to a world where everyone can exercise their rights freely, nurturing the innate power to shape free and thriving environments for themselves and their children.
Barbara Gervin-Hawkins is the State Representative for Texas's 120th House District, which includes parts of San Antonio and Converse, and encompasses Windcrest and Kirby.
She also serves as one of the founders of the George Gervin Youth Center, Inc. (since 1991) and George Gervin Academy (since 1994), a public charter that serves approximately 1,000 students throughout the Bexar County area.
A leader in the community since 1981, Barbara is a passionate educator and businesswoman holding a Bachelor's Degree in Business, a Master's Degree in Education, and finalizing her PhD in Leadership as well as holding certifications as a math teacher and as a principal. She is also owner-operator of I.C.E. Construction Services, LLC and currently holds the position of Special Projects Coordinator at the George Gervin Youth Center, Inc.
As the superintendent of the Gervin Academy, Barbara has helped over 1,800 high school dropouts attain their diplomas. As a business owner, she has completed over $50 million dollars in brick and mortar projects, created over 322 quality affordable housing units including her most recent transformational project called Echo East, and developed a $15 million dollar annual operating budget that provides extensive wrap-around services to assist the most vulnerable populations.
Before Barbara was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, she served as a Zoning Commissioner for the City of San Antonio representing District 2; served on numerous boards and commissions including the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, Ella Austin Community Center, Casey Family Program for homeless youth and was selected to the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame and Whose-Who in San Antonio. Barbara holds numerous honors and awards as an effective community leader. She is always working to create opportunities for all San Antonians.
As a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Barbara currently serves on the House Appropriations and Ways & Means committees. She also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Appropriations Article III Subcommittee. Additionally, she serves on the House Democratic Special Committee on Clean Air, Clean Water, & Climate Change. Barbara proudly serves as member of the House Democratic Caucus, in which she serves as Vice-Deputy Whip, Texas Veterans' Caucus, Women’s Health Caucus, LGBTQ Caucus, Innovation and Technology Caucus, and Texas Legislative Black Caucus where in the 85th legislative session, Barbara was awarded "Freshman of the Year". In addition, she is also a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures and serves on their Redistricting and Elections Standing Committee.
About the Barbara Jordan Freedom Foundation
The Barbara Jordan Freedom Foundation works to further the ideals, principles, and vision that Barbara Jordan exemplified during her life and career by identifying injustices, speaking truth to power, and empowering communities to address these injustices.